Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving to you! Today we are having Maple Bourbon Pumpkin pie in an almond buckwheat crust. I'm sure there'll be other food, but this is what I'm most excited about. Oh, and of course, friends and family!

We are hosting a small gathering in our tiny apartment here in north Seattle and I'm so happy everyone is willing to squeeze around tables placed in the living room and bring a dish to pass. It will be tight, but there will be friends and laughter and food. And gratitude. I am so grateful for my life and the ability to make a gorgeous meal and share it with those I love.

There seem to be difficulties in the world as of late. Our government fighting itself, the typhoon in the Philippines. Some challenges here at home, too. In the past few days we've had issues with family, and in the midst dealing with that, our baby shower gifts were stolen. All of them.

It was heartbreaking, but friends and family have really stepped up to make sure baby Hoverter has clothes to wear. The outpouring of love and generosity has been amazing. And so, I enter this holiday season, not with anger, but with hope and graditude.

"Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good."

Friday, November 22, 2013

I just finished a 2 1/2 month contract job that I was working along with seeing patients and teaching at Bastyr. I'm ecstatic! I'm also wiped out. Instead of inundating you with the going ons at FoodWise and chez Hoverter, I thought I'd give you a little sampling of what we've been eating recently, because really, I know you're here for the food!

Enjoy!

Ramen in tamari broth with turnips, tofu and broccoli

I played with this Bon Appetit recipe to create a dish Ben and I loved! I added in a few more veggies and some baked tofu for protein, but the bones of the broth are essentially the same, except that I used gluten-free tamari. We've been eating this gluten-free brown rice ramen and loving it! Don't be thrown by the fresh turnips, they add a much-needed bite to the dish.

Apple Cake

Cinnamon gives me heartburn, along with most other foods (thank you baby boy Hoverter) but I've been on a real apple kick. The Wednesday Chef posted this lovely and mild Apple Cake that she modified from one of Dorie Greenspan's recipes. I used 2 T of bourbon and eliminated the milk, then used this mix of GF flour: 33 g sorghum flour, 33 g brown rice flour, 14 g potato starch, 14 g tapioca flour. It's a mild and sweet cake that's delicious for both dessert and breakfast.

Poached egg over avocado and spinach

Just in case you thought I'd stopped eating poached eggs, I give you eggs over avocado and sautéed spinach! There was a week in which I wanted spinach at every meal, and so it was. I can and do put poached eggs on everything!

Mostly cheeseless gluten-free pizza

I've been making gluten-free pizza using this recipe for years. "But wait," you say, "I just clicked the link and it's a bread recipe!" Right you are. I make that recipe exactly as-written, divide up the dough (usually makes 5 crusts), freeze 4, and roll out one for pizza! Bake it on a pizza stone for 12 minutes at 500 degrees. I roll out my dough on parchment paper and cook it on the parchment paper for the first 5 minutes. BEWARE! Parchment paper in the oven at 500 degrees is a fire hazard! I leave it to your own judgement, and I am not responsible for you burning your house down.

Kasha and bean soup

I love kasha (roasted buckwheat) in place of barley in soups and stews. We've been living on soup over here while I've been working 10 and 12 hour days, and I've been making a version of this soup every week. Sometimes I include beef, sometimes not. This rendition includes leeks, garlic, vegetable broth, tomatoes, kasha, kidney beans and zucchini (added at the end of cooking).

Vegetarian Tamale Pie

A LOT of friends have had babies recently, so I whipped up a big batch of tamale pies for food deliveries. This particular recipe plays off the recipes in Cover and Bake from Cook's Illustrated, and as CI guards their recipes like prize ponies (as they should), I'm not going to share it here. I can tell you the tamale pie freezes well, and I will be making a batch for myself in the next couple of months!